In the world of product evolution, “smaller” and
“lighter” is usually better. Compare
cumbersome, first generation mobile phones with current cell phone models,
clunky typewriters versus notebook computers or vinyl albums in contrast to
mega-capacity mp3 players. In each
category, innovators found ways to power-pack performance into more efficient
products.
When Taylor Lumber was founded in 1886, its
owner was sawing cross-ties by hand.
Today, its sawmills produce 27,000,000 board feet of high quality
hardwoods per year. Its two flooring plants
manufacture 40,000 square feet of flooring per day. And, it has over 1,600,000 board feet of kiln drying
capacity. With over 100 years of
experience, Taylor Lumber is known worldwide for creating superior hardwood
products from Appalachian timber, renowned for its clarity and grain patterns.
TAU Cerámica is presenting new ceramic covering
models in a 45x90 format, which was a big hit when it was presented at the
recent Cersaie trade fair and which is now being expanded with a number of
unusual new decorative products.
To learn more divergent influences in style and
design, Shaw developed its annual “Visions Retreat,” a workshop of prominent
interior designers. Each summer, Shaw’s research and development team invites
renowned interior designers from across the country to the company’s
headquarters in Dalton, Ga. for a two-day retreat.
Scandian introduced their sawn wear layer
engineered Bonita Collection last year at Surfaces and we are pleased with its
acceptance in the market place. “This product is simply beautiful” said Fabio
Scandian, President of Scandian Wood Floors. “The full fill face and satin
gloss finish allow for the natural colors and grain to show through”, Scandian
said.
The effectiveness of color and how it can impact
commercial environments has been gaining attention in recent years and is now a
main focus of the interior design of these spaces. This focus can be attributed
to increased costs of managing business expenses and the need to gain and
retain consumers within these individual segments.
Quick•Step® is no stranger to innovation. The
company is well known for transforming both the style and substance of today’s
flooring. The direct-pressure laminate technology Quick•Step® pioneered is the
industry standard, while their patented Uniclic® locking system eliminated the
need for glue and revolutionized the industry. They lead the industry in style,
offering more high-end design features including authentic color reproduction,
a greater number of surface textures and a variety of realistic edge features.
These innovations changed what people expected from floors.
As the 2007 year-end approaches, we take a look
back at the progress of one of the fastest growing product categories to ever
hit the flooring market – laminates. At
the forefront of this segment’s growth is the North American Laminate Flooring
Association (NALFA). NALFA has taken great strides to ensure quality in
the continuously growing laminate flooring segment and is recognizing those
individuals and companies who are doing their part to promote the responsible
growth of the industry through the creation of the NALFA Certification Seal and
the LAMMY Awards. NALFA has worked diligently to promote the NALFA
Certification Seal as a symbol of quality among laminate product choices for
consumers and distributors. The NALFA Certification Seal signifies that the
product has passed intense testing and conforms to the quality standards set
forth by NALFA.
Since the company’s inception as Midwest Padding
in 1997, the company’s focus was to manufacture products from
post-industrial/pre-consumer synthetic fibers; byproducts from the carpet and
textile industries. The desire was to
make products that enhance people’s quality of life while at the same time
utilizing waste that may have otherwise gone into landfills. 2007 marks the company’s 10th anniversary,
and is still recycling these fibers to manufacture underlayments for
flooring. While some companies may be
stretching or re-inventing their products in order to get certified for Green
Building Projects, MP Global comes by it naturally. Al Collison, Founder and President of MP Global Products stated
“We’ve always been a “Green” company since we opened our doors for business 10
years ago. We haven’t had to change
anything in our process to make our products sustainable, we’ve always been the
genuine article.”
The next time flooring installers rub their
eyes, it won’t be because of the dusty working conditions. It will be because
they can hardly believe what they’re seeing…a clear alternative to the messy
thin-set mortars of the past. That’s because Mer-Krete Systems, a division of
ParexLaHabra, has introduced its new 7d10 Dust-Less Thin-Set Mortar, the answer
for today’s tile and stone installations that demand a more efficient and
environmentally responsible approach.
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